Week 8 - May 20th - May 24th

[cartesio]

Last Week

With the weekend's latest tragedy, a strange mood has descended over Cartesio. What happened was unprecedented, and perhaps that's why the already decreasing hostility from the townsfolk comes to a complete halt. Could it be the strange circumstances? Bolin's desperate plea? Last week's peaceful Wednesday? Some combination? Whatever the reason, it's clear that the Sergeant's iron fist around the town has loosened. While the residents aren't jumping to interact with you, there's no graffiti, no new broken windows.

Cartesio is confused...but open to explanation, for perhaps the first time.

Still, while the town seems amiable, almost accepting again, there's little to chase away the knowledge that the Sergeant's tasks for you are near their end, and that means those without medals are doomed to their fate.

Or does it? After everything that's turned around, is it possible for you to claw your way out of here as well?

Links

IC Rules
Guestbook
Room Assignments
Events
Locations
NPCs
Activity Check

Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday

[Welcome to the final week! If you want to contact the Sergeant, please post here!. Also please remember to submit your activity check!]

Comments

[robitussin]

...I don't know.

[She looks away.]

I should have, okay? I'm sorry.

[marmoron]

[She told him once that he was a pretty forgiving person. It'd been vaguely amusing then because he hadn't thought so, but all the humor's been sucked right out of it now.]

Got anything else you want to mention while we're airing all of this out?

[robitussin]

[She shakes her head.]

...No. That's it.

[marmoron]

You're sure?

[Whether or not that's a fair question is debatable, but it's how he feels right now. Exasperated, annoyed and just hella tired.]

We're in the final stretch and all of us need to be coming together to figure this shit out. Right now, I just don't know if you're really going to be honest about everything you know.

[robitussin]

I know we need to. I wasn't lying when I told you, I was going to tell everyone tomorrow.

[It's said with sincerity.]

I just thought it would add another reason for people to want to get those medals, and...

[marmoron]

[Deep breath. He shouldn't be so annoyed, especially not when he thinks he's baited in some way.]

If people knew about this, they might've taken this fucking place more seriously and tried harder to get information out of the Sergeant. Maybe you're right that some people would've been spooked into doing something stupid, but all I know is that not knowing didn't stop a lot of people from trying anyway.

[robitussin]

...If it was a bad call, I’m sorry, okay? And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.

[But...]

I’m not sorry I did it in the first place.

[marmoron]

[Silence for a moment. He maintains eye contact throughout, clearly listening but he doesn't acknowledge her apologies. He speaks in the same icy tone as before.]

Did you decide not to tell me because you thought I'd murder someone last week?

[robitussin]

[Almost immediately:]

No, I was just... worried you’d tell everyone, and someone else might.

[marmoron]

[Again there are several ways he could respond to that, but...]

So you do know why you didn't tell me. You don't trust me with your plans. I get it.

[robitussin]

[There's a pause before she speaks, but it's difficult for her to keep the irritation from her voice when she does.]

...What do you want me to say here, exactly?

[marmoron]

I don't know.

[That's not a lie. He has plenty of things he'd like to say, but not a whole lot that he wants to hear that hasn't already been said. In short, he's not listening and frustratingly enough he knows he's not listening, but it's hard to shakeoff the feeling the she's not listening either.]

Say what you want to.

[robitussin]

I already did. I explained everything you asked me to. And I get that you're pissed, fair enough, but...

[She sighs.]

I don't know, either.

[marmoron]

[He's quiet for a long moment, but finally he looks away. This isn't the time to start bickering amongst themselves -- a fractured group is only going to help the Sergeant and hurt them. He knew this back in deep space when he started that fucking argument over Lotor. He knows this now. So why is it so hard to let this go?]

I'm gonna go before I say something stupid.

[Maybe that's not right either. Trying to abandon the paladins only made shit worse. He breathes out.]

Look. Having to hear about this stuff from the Sergeant ... it just stings. alright?

[robitussin]

...I should have thought about that more.

[It's a quiet admission, uncomfortable.]

I just - wanted you to be safe.

[marmoron]

[There's a longer pause before he looks at her again.]

I know.

[Sometimes he has to wonder if things would be better if she didn't, but...]

I'm sorry. I don't think I'm in a good place right now.

[robitussin]

...You don't have to apologize, you know.

[She's sure that isn't exactly rare among all of them.]

Did something else happen, though...?

[marmoron]

Fine. I'll take it back then.

[He's still sounding faintly annoyed there, but not much more than usual.]

I've just been thinking. How likely do you think it is that the Sergeant's being brainwashed ny his boss?

[robitussin]

[She pauses for a moment, taking in both statements. She doesn't comment on the first, but...]

...You think maybe when he presses his hand to his ear, it's not that he's getting orders, it's that he's being controlled somehow?

[marmoron]

I don't know, but he got real touchy about the suggestion.

["Suggestion." More like he yelled it at the guy because he was pissed, but same difference. There's a pause, and then:]

I made a deal with him.

[robitussin]

...I have literally no right to judge you for that, but - can you tell me what it was?

[marmoron]

[Nope, definitely no right to judge at all, buuuut that's okay because he's doing a lot of the judging himself anyway.]

I don't know if I can. It's a long shot, but I'm not risking him deciding it's void because I said too much.

[The only reason he figures saying a deal exists doesn't count is because Sarge set the precedent that it doesn't. Either way, he figures Natalie's perceptive enough to guess what the terms are given what he's said.]

Just let me know if there's anything you learn about brainwashing.

[robitussin]

I will.

[...]

Just - whatever it is, be careful, okay?

[marmoron]

[There's a pause.]

I have to be careful.

[A beat.]

You're going to come after me if I'm not.

[robitussin]

...That's probably the worst way you could have phrased that.